A database is a structured collection of data. It may be
anything from a simple shopping list to a picture gallery or
the vast amounts of information in a corporate network. To
add, access, and process data stored in a computer database,
you need a database management system such as MySQL Server.
Since computers are very good at handling large amounts of
data, database management systems play a central role in
computing, as standalone utilities, or as parts of other
applications.

MySQL databases are
relational.

A relational database stores data in separate tables rather
than putting all the data in one big storeroom. The database
structures are organized into physical files optimized for
speed. The logical model, with objects such as databases,
tables, views, rows, and columns, offers a flexible
programming environment. You set up rules governing the
relationships between different data fields, such as
one-to-one, one-to-many, unique, required or optional, and
“pointers” between different tables. The database
enforces these rules, so that with a well-designed database,
your application never sees inconsistent, duplicate, orphan,
out-of-date, or missing data.

The SQL part of “MySQL” stands for
“Structured Query Language”. SQL is the most
common standardized language used to access databases.
Depending on your programming environment, you might enter SQL
directly (for example, to generate reports), embed SQL
statements into code written in another language, or use a
language-specific API that hides the SQL syntax.

SQL is defined by the ANSI/ISO SQL Standard. The SQL standard
has been evolving since 1986 and several versions exist. In
this manual, “SQL-92” refers to the standard
released in 1992, “SQL:1999” refers to the
standard released in 1999, and “SQL:2003” refers
to the current version of the standard. We use the phrase
“the SQL standard” to mean the current version of
the SQL Standard at any time.

MySQL software is Open
Source.

Open Source means that it is possible for anyone to use and
modify the software. Anybody can download the MySQL software
from the Internet and use it without paying anything. If you
wish, you may study the source code and change it to suit your
needs. The MySQL software uses the GPL (GNU General Public
License), http://www.fsf.org/licenses/, to
define what you may and may not do with the software in
different situations. If you feel uncomfortable with the GPL
or need to embed MySQL code into a commercial application, you
can buy a commercially licensed version from us. See the MySQL
Licensing Overview for more information
(http://www.mysql.com/company/legal/licensing/).

The MySQL Database Server is very fast,
reliable, scalable, and easy to use.

If that is what you are looking for, you should give it a try.
MySQL Server can run comfortably on a desktop or laptop,
alongside your other applications, web servers, and so on,
requiring little or no attention. If you dedicate an entire
machine to MySQL, you can adjust the settings to take
advantage of all the memory, CPU power, and I/O capacity
available. MySQL can also scale up to clusters of machines,
networked together.

MySQL Server was originally developed to handle large
databases much faster than existing solutions and has been
successfully used in highly demanding production environments
for several years. Although under constant development, MySQL
Server today offers a rich and useful set of functions. Its
connectivity, speed, and security make MySQL Server highly
suited for accessing databases on the Internet.

MySQL Server works in client/server or
embedded systems.

The MySQL Database Software is a client/server system that
consists of a multi-threaded SQL server that supports
different backends, several different client programs and
libraries, administrative tools, and a wide range of
application programming interfaces (APIs).

We also provide MySQL Server as an embedded multi-threaded
library that you can link into your application to get a
smaller, faster, easier-to-manage standalone product.

A large amount of contributed MySQL
software is available.

MySQL Server has a practical set of features developed in
close cooperation with our users. It is very likely that your
favorite application or language supports the MySQL Database
Server.

The official way to pronounce “MySQL” is “My
Ess Que Ell” (not “my sequel”), but we do not
mind if you pronounce it as “my sequel” or in some
other localized way.